Once you’ve sustained a shoulder injury, one that’s affected the rotator cuff, you may wonder if you’ll ever be back to normal again. The things most people take for granted, like getting dressed or reaching a glass off a top shelf, can cause agonizing pain.

What’s worse is a rotator cuff injury may seem like it will never get any better. Will you be stuck with this pain indefinitely, and is the limited range of movement something you just have to learn to live with.

Shoulders are one of the most amazing parts of the body considering the wide range of motion they were designed for, and this complexity, especially of the rotator cuff is why recovering from an injury in this area can be more difficult. Just consider the anatomical engineering required to provide complete freedom of movement through a whole 360 degree circle.

The many muscles and tendons making up the rotator cuff all work in concert to hold your arm to your shoulder by keeping the ball on top of the upper arm firmly pressed into the socket in your shoulder blade. There is no other joint that allows for movements as complicated as those performed by the shoulder when it works properly.

But along with incredible possibilities for movement there’s the likely-hood of too much stress which makes rotator cuff injuries a somewhat common occurrence. There are many causes such as the impact from a fall, lifting incorrectly, and even doing the same arm movement over and over. Maybe you hyper-extended trying to reach something or did so at an awkward angle.

Throwing type activities like football or baseball, and any number of other athletic pursuits can cause the injury, as can especially heavy demands made of the shoulders in certain trades like building or loading. Aging is also an increased risk for this type injury, and sometimes a simple movement can bring it on.

It’s precisely because the shoulder joint allows us to do so much that its loss is so keenly felt when it isn’t working right. Symptoms are several, but the predominant one is pain, especially when reaching overhead or behind your back. The shoulder may be tender and weak, and the tendency will be to avoid certain types of movements in order to alleviate the pain somewhat.

This includes favoring the injured shoulder, not sleeping on the hurt side, and avoiding any lifting or pulling, including simple efforts like putting on a coat. Depending on how bad it is, the range of motion may also be limited by the injury, and continuous pain and associated muscle weakness often indicate a more severe injury such as a large rotator cuff tear.

The correct treatment depends on the type and extent of the injury and obviously no one wants a mild inflammation to become a more serious rotator cuff tear. Types of injury range from muscle inflammation with no material damage, all the way to a partial or complete muscle tear that may require some sort of surgery. Often it’s the case that self-care methods and exercise therapy bring about healing and recovery.

To start out, you need to allow the injury to heal by resting it, using cold and heat treatments, and anti-inflammatory medications along with something for pain. Once that happens start gently exercising it to relieve stiffness, then start a correct regimen of shoulder injury exercises to recondition and strengthen the muscles once they’ve healed.

You want to be sure to utilize a method of conditioning, training, and strengthening that is reliable and medically proven. Foremost is to deal with the injuryas soon as possible after it happens. Just pampering it for many days on end with no improvement is not the answer.

Knowing when to see a doctor is critical as is understanding the proper way to care for yourself. If a rotator cuff injury is not acute, recovery is most often possible with proper exercise therapy.